Older Adults
VisionKing County is a community that promotes optimal health, choice and quality of life and for people as they age. Population OverviewKing County is facing a dramatic demographic imperative — a rapidly growing population age 60 and over, with the first of the aging Baby Boom generation turning age 60 this year.
Growing older presents challenges.Changes occur in all arenas of life: physical and mental health; employment and income status; family and household composition; and community roles. Persons age 85 and older are more likely to have chronic illnesses and disabilities and to be frailer than younger populations. Income typically declines after retirement and remains at fixed levels, regardless of increases in the cost of living. Health care costs are increasing faster than the cost of living, which negatively impacts older adults as major consumers of health care. Income level may restrict access to needed services. Those with marginal income just above the poverty level may have the least opportunity to receive services, because they are ineligible for publicly funded care (e.g., Medicaid), but not able to afford to pay for services needed. Language presents a barrier to services for older adults for whom English is not a first language. Growing older presents opportunities.Although these challenges need to be met by both the individual and our community, there are also opportunities for older adults to enhance their lives and the lives of those around them. Older adults no longer in the paid work force typically have time and expertise to contribute to other generations and to the overall health of the community. Our community must support opportunities for older adults to contribute across generations and in supporting older adults and their families in meeting the challenges that can occur with aging. Older Adults: A Heterogeneous PopulationOlder adults are comprised of generations of people who all have different experiences, needs and hopes. According the King County Area Plan on Aging, there are said to be 3 ‘cohorts’ of aging adults:[3]
Life expectancy is increasing.Increases in life expectancy represent a medical success story, as Baby Boomers will live much longer than prior generations. According to the Area Plan on Aging, by 2025, 23% of the population will be over 60.[4]
Download Data | Sources: Death Certificate Data: Washington State Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics. 1990-2005 Population Estimates: Population Estimates for Public Health Assessment, Washington State Department of Health, Vista Partnership, and Krupski Consulting. November 2006.Prepared by: Epidemiology, Planning and Evaluation Unit, Public Health- Seattle & King County, 11/07 No other demographic shift in recent history will have such a profound impact on every societal institution— work, retirement, education, health care, social services, and the family. However, future cohorts will continue to experience chronic illnesses that require long term care, social, and health services. Even though rates of disability are declining, by 2030, 30% of older adults nationally will have activity limitations that require assistance for Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) due to chronic illness or disability and 20% of this group will have severe limitations in ADLs. Nationally and in King County, less than 20% of elders currently require such assistance. The increasing need for services to prevent institutionalization and to support autonomy in community-based settings is thus paralleling the growth in sheer numbers of older adults. Demand for community based services is increasing.Even though the Boomers will be healthier than current cohorts of older adults, their sheer numbers will increase the demand for community-based services to prevent and manage chronic illness. Local and national studies consistently show that the vast majority of older adults want to continue to live autonomously for as long as they can. National data indicates that over 80% of older adults with limitations in three or more activities of daily living (ADLs) are able to live in the community. In order to do so, most prefer help from informal/family caregivers rather than from paid caregivers. Nationally, 50 to 60% of older adults outside institutional settings who need some help with ADLs rely on largely informal networks of family and friends that are not supplemented by paid caregivers. Yet current funding of services is oriented toward acute and institutional care rather than to community based services that would support both caregivers and older adults living in their own homes. Living SituationsAccording to the 2002 Census, 94.1% of King County residents age 65 and older live in community households, with only 3.3% in nursing homes. Of adults age 65 and older, 19% need assistance with ADLs/IADLs. Nationally, 65% of older adults depend on family or other informal, non-paid caregivers to provide assistance in order to remain as autonomous as possible. The need for institutional long term care decreases when older adults are able to access and use appropriate community-based health care such as monitoring, preventive care and treatment. Since most adults out-live their ability to drive by ten years, adequate transportation resources, including mobility options, are imperative for them to be able to access essential services. Older adults with chronic conditions prefer home/community based services, yet the health and long term care system is biased toward institutional and acute care. The preferred services to support older adults in their own home (e.g., Medicaid waiver programs, case management, community and senior centers, consumer directed care, home modification) also have the advantage of reducing demands on family caregivers. Services that specifically support family caregivers include respite, support groups (especially when combined with respite and transportation), and eldercare employer friendly policies. The following services can result in keeping older adults in their own homes longer while also maintaining family caregivers’ physical and mental health.
Special considerations for older adults in rural areasIt is especially challenging for older adults living in rural areas to access services. Commensurate with the overall trends of the growing population of older adults in urban and suburban areas of King County, the population of older adults in rural areas is increasing. According to the Area Plan on Aging, between 2000 and 2010, the rural senior population (over 60) is expected to grow from 11,350 to 15,000, or one-third.[5] Given this growth, planning efforts with this population should center around accessibility to services and safety considerations. Caregiver SupportElders over age 85, are the most rapidly growing segment of
the older adult population. People over 85 are most likely to
have chronic illnesses and to need long-term care services to
help with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental
Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). he rapid growth in the
population most likely to require assistance highlights the
significance of caregivers Physical & Mental Well-BeingStudies have found that if a person believes they are well,
they are in fact, healthier. In other words, there is a
correlation between self-report and actual health. Nevertheless,
the majority of older adults do face declining functional
abilities, due in part to chronic illness, which is accompanied
by increasing health care costs. Special PopulationsThe population of older adults in King County is increasingly
diverse in terms of race, ethnicity and immigration status, with
a significant number of individuals who have limited or no
English skills. The poverty rate among King County residents age
65 and older is growing. Racial disparities persist in issues of
particular importance to older adults like health care and life
expectancy. Culturally and linguistically specialized services
are a growing need among older immigrants.
Best PracticesGo to the index to best and promising practices Resources
Footnotes
[1]
Population data: Area Plan on Aging (2007), Health data: Health
of King County (2004) [2] Population Projections: Area Plan on Aging (2007), Aging and Disability Services [3] Area Plan on Aging (2007), Aging and Disability Services [4] Ibid. [5] Ibid. [6] National Institute of Mental Health: Senior Health nihseniorhealth.gov/depression/aboutdepression/04.html |
Quick Facts:By 2015 the population of people over 60 will increase by 104,000, a 39% increase. |
| 2007 - United Way of King County - Questions and Comments? |